There are those who talk of transformation yet who do nothing. Then there was Brian Mulroney.
Amidst all the memorials, obituaries, and screeds written about Brian Mulroney the past couple of days, consider three things about his time as Prime Minister that affected Newfoundland and Labrador.
First is the Atlantic Accord. Without question, the most important political agreement for Newfoundland and Labrador in the 20th Century after Confederation, the Accord gave Newfoundland and Labrador de facto control of key aspects of offshore oil and gas development including the right to set and collect revenues from the offshore as if the resources were on land.
Since 2003 successive governments have ignored or squandered the value of the Accord and Danny Williams government perpetuated a fraud in claiming to have renegotiated the original deal. That bit of nonsense even made it into a CBC story last week.
The Accord with Newfoundland and Labrador and the similar agreement with Nova Scotia demonstrate the political flexibility that is possible within the Canadian confederation that allow provinces to grow and prosper without fundamentally breaking the country in the process. The Accords took political creativeness and political courage - in the face of intense opposition from Alberta in particular - both of which Brian Mulroney and his administration showed in spades.
Second, is free trade. included in this is both the North American Free Trade Agreement and the move to more open trade between provinces. As much as reactionary forces within Canada and across North America have attempted to undermine free trade agreements between countries and Canadian provinces, more open trade contributed greatly to the economic transformation of Newfoundland and Labrador.
They did not do so alone of course. Progressive policies under first Brian Peckford and later Clyde Wells in Newfoundland and Labrador capitalized on the opportunities available through the abilities of local entrepreneurs to exploit far larger markets abroad than those available at home.
Third is Meech Lake. This one is not so much about the positive impact on this province but the controversy over the Accord saw this province play a leading role in a national political drama. The Meech Lake controversy and the subsequent Charlottetown agreement not only showed the extent to which this province could be more than a straggler in national political events but also exposed some deeply rooted prejudices and animosity toward the province and its people that linger to this day.
There will be better and far more eloquent appraisals of Mulroney as Prime Minister but a balanced assessment would remain anyone of what is possible when vision, skill, and courage come together.
There are those who talk of transformation yet who do nothing.
Then there was Brian Mulroney.